Tom Beaulieu

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of NWT Housing Corporation pertaining to the Aging in Place, as it's laid out in our mandate. Mr. Speaker, in answering questions in February, questions from me, the Minister responded to a question I was asking about Aging in Place by indicating that she would be meeting with the federal government on March 10, 2016. I want to know what the results of that meeting were? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the NWT Housing Corporation must begin to change the way they do business. Currently, the suite of programs they deliver are not desirable to NWT seniors.

Mr. Speaker, there are very few jobs in the small communities and the people cannot afford to pay house insurance and pay the copayment requirements of the programs. Also, Mr. Speaker, elders in small communities do not have money to leave to their adult children. All they have is their homes. On applying for any substantial programs, the elders must sign a document that encumbers their house for 10 years...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I move that we report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chairman, I just really have one area of concern and that area of concern is very similar to everyone else, and that's really the logistics of how we would handle a Department of Infrastructure in this type of setting. I wonder how we are able to consider a department which we have continued to discuss in the business-planning process which would then come to the Assembly in February.

So whether we agree with it then or disagree with it, if we consider the capital in this format, then we are essentially agreeing with the Infrastructure Department existing, which we...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Minister if he can commit to providing the impacts on minimum wage increases, if increases were recommended, on the minimum wage earners and how that impacts our government in the area of social programs that we often extend to individuals that are at a minimum wage? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'd like to ask the Minister if there's any plan or schedule for the minimum wage to change in the near future? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s statement I spoke about the deterrents that were associated with a lot of the programs NWT Housing Corporation is delivering, deterrents that make the seniors apprehensive to apply for the programs that are in place. Has the Minister had a discussion with staff or with Cabinet on features that might be added to a program that specifically looks at allowing seniors to age in place in their communities without a lot of the deterrents? Right now, those individuals are not applying for the programs for various reasons. So I'd like to see if the...

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Minister when the Northern Strategy would come into effect and if there's any money associated with the Northern Strategy insofar as money from the GNWT or money from the federal government? Thank you.

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. As noted above, the mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories 2016-2019 was drafted by Cabinet, reviewed in Caucus, and adopted with amendments in the House. The same process should be applied for the mid-term adjustments to the mandate. This work should be completed in the October 2017 Session.

The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that the Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories 2016-2019 be revised, if necessary, by Cabinet with input from the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning, reviewed in Caucus and tabled...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, this is more a human capital, but I only wanted to get the floor to welcome Mr. Hagen to the House. I believe this is his first time in the House as a deputy.